1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to play pieces, such as balls and bats, and more particularly to a variable-weight play piece having an encased sponge-like body within which water is dispersed to impart a desired degree of heft to the piece.
2. Status of Prior Art
A standard football is of oval shape and is made of an inflatable, high strength inner bladder and an outer casing formed of heavy leather, rubber or flexible plastic material. The bladder is provided with a valve so that it can be inflated with air, the valve automatically closing to retain the air in the bladder. Made in a similar fashion are spherical soccer balls, volley balls and basketballs. In these standard balls, the bladder is molded to assume, when inflated, the shape shape as the outer casing.
In the process of play, standard sports play balls of the pneumatic type are tossed, kicked and bounced, the balls being capable of withstanding very rough handling. While such balls are not regarded by adults as unduly heavy, they represent an intolerable load to a young child. Moreover, a standard inflatable athletic ball tends to produce a "hand sting." This effect arises when the ball, which has a hard casing, is caught by the bare hands while moving at high velocity.
While small children are attracted to conventional athletic balls and enjoy watching adults play soccer, football and other ball games, in the hands of a small child these athletic balls are heavy and dangerous, especially in indoor play. The standard inflated athletic ball has a relatively large diameter and a smooth, hard outer casing which makes it very difficult for a small child to grasp, throw and catch.
The toy and game industry has long recognized the need for lighter, softer and potentially less dangerous balls for young children. Balls in various shapes and sizes are now commercially available which are molded of polyurethane foam material and other light-weight, compressible plastics. Thus, the patent to Martin, 4,772,020, discloses a football intended for children in the form of a one-piece, molded, elliptical body constituted by soft, light-weight elastomeric foam material, such as polyurethane foam. And the patent to Ma, 4,919,422, discloses a spherical ball of baseball size formed of flexible, foam plastic material.
Light-weight balls made of flexible, foam plastic material, though much softer in the hands of children than the regulation balls they imitate, are incapable of withstanding rough handling. Thus, a foam plastic spherical ball having a diameter equivalent to that of a regulation soccer ball, though it can be thrown and bounced, cannot long survive being vigorously kicked by players.
My prior patent 4,834,382 discloses a pneumatic play ball that includes an outer casing of non-stretchable fabric material having a closable port therein, the configuration of the casing depending on the nature of the ball. The casing encases an ordinary balloon of stretchable material which when unconfined is capable of being inflated to assume a generally globular form, the balloon having an air-passage stem. In its uninflated state, the balloon is inserted into the casing through the port, the stem then projecting out of the port.
After the confined balloon is inflated by blowing air through its stem to cause the balloon to conform to the inner surface of the casing and to assume the same configuration, the stem is knotted to seal the balloon. The knotted stem is pushed under the opening, which is then closed, whereby no portion of the encased balloon can be extruded from the casing when the ball bounces.
As pointed out in my prior patent 4,035,426, a fabric-encased balloon, while not nearly as heavy as a leather encased conventional pneumatic ball, has sufficient weight to permit easy throwing without, however, inflicting injury should the ball hit a child. However, in some circumstances, the ball may be too light to permit play. Thus, on a windy beach, wind gusts will often deflect the fabric-encased balloon and interfere with play activity. In order, therefore, to give grater weight to the ball, this patent suggests that this can be done by wetting the outer fabric casing.
Wetting the fabric will add some weight to the ball, but since the fabric of the outer casing is exposed, it will not remain wet for long because of evaporation from this surface. Moreover, as it is only the outer surface of the ball that is water laden, the amount of weight added to the ball may not be sufficient to certain types of play activity.
Where the ball is of basketball size or greater and is to be tossed about in the fashion of a medicine ball, it is then desirable that the ball have considerable heft. Or where the ball is of soccer ball size and is to be played with by older children, it is desirable that its weight be closer to that of a regulation soccer ball, so that when kicked it will behave like a regulation ball. These ends cannot be achieved without my prior pneumatic encased balloon ball, which is inherently light in weight.
My related copending application Ser. No. 743,279 discloses a variable weight play ball whose weight is determined by the user. This ball includes an outer casing formed of liquid-impervious, flexible material having a configuration that depends on the nature of the playball. Confined within this casing is a low-density compressible body of the same configuration as that of the casing, the body being formed of flexible, foam plastic material having sponge-like characteristics.
A closable port formed in the casing provides access to the body encased therein. When the port is open and the ball is squeezed by the user to expel air therefrom, water fed into the port is absorbed by the body as the ball resumes its normal configuration to impart heft to the ball. The port is then closed to retain the water, so that the playball is in condition for play. Should it be thereafter necessary to lighten the ball, the port may then be opened and the ball squeezed to extrude water from the body until the ball has the desired reduced weight.
A variable-weight play ball of the type disclosed in my copending application Ser. No. 743,279 is effective for its intended purpose. However, it is difficult to manufacture. In the manufacturing process, use is made of the ball-shaped fabric casing in its collapsed state. When molten plastic material is fed into the open port of this casing, it acts to inflate the casing, and when the plastic material is cooled and cured, it creates a foam plastic body within the confines of the inflated casing. But in order to blow up the casing with the molten material injected therein, a relatively high pressure is required. The necessary pressure level is difficult to attain.
Moreover, the fabric casing of a variable-weight ball of this type is not strong. When, therefore, the ball is weighted by water impregnating its sponge-like internal body, the casing may be ruptured when the ball strikes a hard surface, or is vigorously kicked or hit by a bat.
Also of prior art interest is my patent 5,071,123 (1991) which discloses a hollow baseball bat for children, the bat being blow-molded of synthetic plastic material and being, therefore, much lighter in weight than a standard wood bat. The present invention provides a similar bat, but one whose weight is variable, so that its user can impart to the bat a weight that suits his needs.